Method and apparatus for forming packages

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for folding a strip of web material employs a pair of fixed spaced apart guide members each having a slot for receiving opposite edges of the web material. The guide pieces are spaced more widely apart at one end than at the other, and the web material enters the widely spaced end and leaves in a folded relationship at the other end. The narrow end of the stationary members are spaced apart so that the web material is folded but is not creased.

Unite States Patent [1 1 Cloud et al.

1 1 Sept. 30, 1975 1 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PACKAGES [75] Inventors: Charles E. Cloud, Wilmette; Donn Allan Hartman, Zion, both of 111.

[73] Assignee: R. A. Jones & Co. lnc., Covington,

[22] Filed: Apr. 11, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 350,096

[52] US. Cl. 270/86 [51] Int. Cl. B65h 45/22 [58] Field of Search 270/8694, 270/66. 59, 41

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1.301748 6/1919 Shapiro 270/86 2540844 2/1951 Strauss 270/93 2.956799 8/1960 Wasson 270/86 3,106,505 10/1963 Plummer et a1. 270/86 $398,656 8/1968 Cloud et a1. 27(1/86 Prinutry E.\'aminerR0bert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-A. Heinz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wood, Herron & Evans [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for folding a strip of web material employs a pair of fixed spaced apart guide members each having a slot for receiving opposite edges of the web material. The guide pieces are spaced more widely apart at one end than at the other, and the web material enters the widely spaced end and leaves in a folded relationship at the other end. The narrow end of the stationary members are spaced apart so that the web material is folded but is not creased.

10 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures US. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 1 on 3,908,979

US. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 2 0f 3 3,908,979

mum-t I US. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,908,979

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PACKAGES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to method 'and apparatus for folding a continuous strip of web material and more particularly to apparatus for folding such a strip of material for use in the production of packages such as pouches and the like.

2. The Prior Art Apparatus for folding and creasing in a continuous strip of web material has been developed in the prior art. One example of such apparatus is illustrated in the Cloud et al US. Pat. No. 3,398,656, which incorporates a plow adapted to receive a continuous strip of web material and to fold and crease the same. While this apparatus operates in a satisfactory manner for the formation of a large variety of different packages, using a variety of packaging materials, it is sometimes desirable to provide a folded strip of web material which has a rounded fold instead of a crease. This is especially so when the web material is such that the fibers are damaged by creasing.

The plows known in the prior art, of which the plow of the aforementioned Cloud et al patent is an example, function to maintain the strip of web material in correct alignment by modifying the position of the crease which is formed in the folded web strip. When such apparatus is employed with webs of different widths, it is necessary to make a separate adjustment in the plow apparatus for each width of web material which is used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A principal object of the present invention is to pro vide an improved method of folding a strip of web material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for folding a continuous strip of web material into folded condition in which the joint joining the two sides of the folded web strip is not creased.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such apparatus in which the strip of web material is guided by its side edges rather than by the position of the crease or fold formed therein.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for folding a continuous strip of web material in which the side edges of the folded strip are offset so that one of the folded sides overlaps the other.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such apparatus in which the continuous strip of web material may be folded without tearing or fracturing the fibers of the web material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for folding a continuous strip of web material.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become manifest upon an examination of the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In one embodiment of the present invention there is provided apparatus for folding a continuous strip of web material incorporating a pair of guide members each having a slot for receiving a side edge of a strip of web material, said slots being angled with respect to each other to define a wide entrance portion and a mar row exit portion, and a pair of block members juxtaposed with said narrow end for folding the mid portion of said web with a rounded fold having a predetermined radius."

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a packageforming machine incorporating an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, illustrating apparatus for adjusting the feed roller;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-section of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3, taken along the plane IV'IV;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, shown in more detail;

FIG. 6 is an end elevation view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5; v

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the folded web material produced by the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1-7;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an end elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 1 1 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIGS. 9 and DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED f EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1 there is illustrateda plan view of a portion of a package forming machine in which a supply of web material 16 is provided on a supply roll 10, mounted on a shaft 12 supported by a bracket 14 secured to the frame of the machine. The web 16 is drawn from the roll 10 and passes over a pair of rollers 18 and 20, which are arranged to guide the web 16 upwardly into a horizontal path at the downstream side of the roller 20. From the roller 20 the web 16 passes in a horizontal direction into the entrance of a folder assembly 22 at which the web 16 is folded into a folded web 24. When the web 24 emerges from the folder assembly 22 it passes around an idler roller 26, and then around the surface of a heated drum 28 which is provided for sealing together spaced portions of the folded web 24.

The web 24 passes around a drive roller 30, which presses the web 24 against a pinch roller 32, and the action of the drive roller 30 in combination with the pinch roller 32 functions to draw the web 16 from the storage roll 10. When the web 24 emerges from the drive roller 30, it is available to pass on to additional stages of the machine in which a series of pouches, formed in the continuous web, are opened, filled with a product, and thereafter sealed and severed so as to form individual packets each containing a measured quantity of the product.

The function of the heated drum 28 is to seal together the opposite sides of the web 24 along areas extending from one side of the folded web to the other, so as to form separate pouches in the web 24 which can thereafter be filled and sealed. A plurality of vertical ribs 34 extend radially outwardly from the drum 28 and engage the web 24 to effect the sealing at the specified portions. An idler roll 36, mounted on a lever 38, is biased toward the drum 28 by means of a spring 40, and urges the web 24 into tight contact with the ribs 34.

The roller 18 is provided with means for adjusting its position in two different directions, as more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The roller 18 is rotatable on a shaft 42 which is supported on a screw 56 secured to a bracket 46. The bracket 46 has a vertical aperture extending therethrough which receives a shaft 48 mounted by means of bolts 50 on a bracket 62, which is mounted on the upper surface of a work table 52. A thumb screw 54 is threadably received in an aperture in the bracket 46, for adjustably securing the position of the bracket 46 relative to the rod 48. Accordingly, the bracket may be raised or lowered on the rod 48 and fixed in any desired position by means of the thumb screw 54.

The screw 56 extends through vertically aligned apertures in the bracket 46. The screw 56 is provided with screw threads, threadably engaged with corresponding threads provided in a vertical aperture provided in the shaft 42, so that rotation of the screw 56 effects a change in the vertical position of the shaft 42, relative to the bracket 46. A knob 58 is secured to the upper end of the screw 56 so that the screw 56 may be rotated for adjusting the vertical position of the bracket 46 as desired. The thumb screw 54 provides a clamp for a coarse adjustment of the vertical elevation of the roller 18, and the wheel 58 provides a fine adjustment.

The roller 18 is also adjustable in its horizontal direction, as illustrated in FIG. 4. A flange 59 is secured to the bottom end of the shaft 48, and it is provided with a pair of elongate slots 60. The bolts 50 extend through the slots 60 and are in threaded engagement with the bracket 62. Accordingly the horizontal position of the roller 18 is adjustable by loosening the bolts 50, moving the roller assembly to the desired position, and retightening the bolts 50. By means of the above described horizontal and vertical adjustments, the roller may be adjusted to compensate for any lack of parallelism between the axis of the shaft 12 and the axis of the fixed roller 20. By this means the web material 16 is guided uniformly and smoothly over the roller 20, the position of which defines the height of the web 16 as it enters the folder assembly 22.

The folder assembly 22 is most clearly illustrated in FIGS. -7. It comprises a pair of guide members 64 and 66 which are mounted on the work table 52 by means described hereinafter. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the guide members are not parallel but are angled relative to each other, forming a more widely spaced condition at the entrance end and a more narrowly spaced condition at the exit end. The web 16 enters the folder assembly 22 at the entrance end, and is folded so that it emerges at the exit end in folded condition.

The guide member 64 is bolted onto a supporting member 70 by means of a bolt 79, and the member 70 is bolted by bolts 100 and 101 to a pair of posts 71 and 72. Similarly the guide member 66 is bolted onto a supporting member 78 and the supporting member 78 is bolted to a pair of posts 73 and 74 by bolts 101 and 100. The bolts 101 are received in slots provided in the posts 71 and 73, to permit adjustment of the position of the entrance end of the guide members. The height of the supporting member 70 extends slightly above the supporting member 78 and the guide members 64 and 66 are both provided with downwardly extending flanges 75, which are spaced from the facing surfaces of the supporting members and 78 to define a pair of slots 76 and 77, for receiving the side edges of the web 16. In one embodiment of the present invention the upper surface of the guide piece 64 is spaced approximately 3/32 inch above a corresponding portion of the guide member 66, so that the slot 76 is located with its end wall approximately 3/32 inch above the corresponding wall of the slot 77. The side edges of the web material 16 are received in the slots 76 and 77 and are maintained in position thereby during the folding operation. The upper ends of the slots 76 and 77 are aligned approximately in a horizontal plane with the upper surface of the roller 20, as best illustrated in FIG. 2, so that the side edges of the web 16 travel in approximately a horizontal plane from the roller 20 to the downstream end of the plow assembly 22. Of course, the path of movement of one of the side edges deviates slightly from a horizontal plane because the side edges are spaced approximately 3/32 inch in a vertical direction, at the downstream side of the folder assembly 22.

The posts 71-74, upon which the guide members 64 and 66 are supported are generally circular in crosssection but both have a flattened surface provided near their upper ends, through which the apertures are drilled to accommodate the bolts by which the supporting members 70 and 78 are secured to the posts. Flattened surfaces 88 are provided on facing sides of the posts 71 and 73, and flattened surfaces 89 are provided on the outer sides of the posts 72 and 74. Each post is mounted to the surface of the table 52 and extends upwardly therefrom. The guide members 64 and 66 are secured to the flattened portions of the posts 72 and 74 by means of bolts 100, and to the circular cylindrical portions of the posts 71 and 73 by means of bolts 101.

Immediately downstream from the exit end 70 of the folder assembly 22, a pair of square cross-section blocks 102 and 104 are mounted on the surface of the table'52 and extend upwardly therefrom. They are orientated so that a square corner of each of the blocks 102 and 104 is in engagement with the outside surface of the folded web 24. The facing corners of the blocks 102 and 104 are spaced apart by approximately Vs inch, which permits the fold in the web material 24 to pass through this space between the blocks 102 and 104 provided that it forms a curve or bend having a radius of no greater than l/16 inch. When the web 24 leaves the end of the folder assembly 22 in this condition, it is passed to the roller 26 and from there, passes on to the heated drum 28, as described above.

In one embodiment it may be desired to provide a roller 106 mounted above the surface of the table 52 for rotation about a horizontal axis, for supporting the lower end of the folded web 24. Preferably the roller 106 has a slot for maintaining the folded edge of the web 24 in correct alignment with the roller 106.

The folded web produced by the apparatus is illustrated in FIG. 8. As illustrated therein the opposite sides of the folded web are spaced from each other approximately a distance of 3/32 inch, and spaced portions 110 are sealed together by the action of the heated drurti 28. Between adjacent sealed portions 110, pouches 112 are formed, and the bottom edge of each pouch 1 12 is not tife'ased but is rounded with a rounded surface having radius of approximately l/16 of an inch The lip piovided between the opposite edges of the folded web, and the rounded fold, both assist'i'n the opening of the pouch prior-to filling the pouch with a quantity of product desired to be packaged.

In FIGS. 9-11, where an alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, similar portions of the apparatus have been given the same reference numerals as used in FIGS. 1-7. The supporting posts 71-74 are provided with flattened surfaces 120 on the inside thereof, adjacent the arms 64, 66, and also flattened surface 121 on the outside thereof. In this way the heads of the bolts 122 by which the supporting members 70 and 78 are bolted to the posts 71-74 each engage a flat area. The bolts 122 are received in elongate slots 124 the posts 71-74, to allow for independent vertical positioning of the members 70 and 78 relative to the posts 71-74. The guide members 64 and 66 are bolted to the supporting members 70 and 78 (by bolts) in order to define slots 76 and 77, in which the edge of the web material is received.

The posts 71 and 73 are taller than the posts 72 and 74, and their upper ends are joined together by a stringer member 126, which is bolted thereto by means of bolts 128. The bolts 128 are received in slightly oversize apertures in the stringer member 126, to allow for a slight amount of lateral adjustment in the position of the stringer relative to the posts 71 and 73. A beam 130 extends outwardly horizontally from the midportion of the stringer member 126, and supports a vertically extending shaft 132, threadably engaged within an aperture 134 in the beam 130. The upper end of the shaft 132 is provided with a knob 136 to allow for adjustment of the vertical position of the shaft 132, by means of rotation of the knob 136, and the shaft 132 with it. When the shaft is at the correct vertical adjustment, a nut 138, threadably engaged on the shaft 132, may be tightened against the upper surface of the beam 130 in order to firmly lock the position of the shaft 132.

A sphere or ball 140 is secured to the lower end of the shaft 132 and is positioned at a point where the web material being folded is forced to assume a generally rounded condition by bending around a relatively large radius. The radius assumed by the web material at this point corresponds to the radius of the sphere 140, which functions to hold the web in proper position and substantially prevents the web from vibrating as it is drawn through the folder assembly 22.

A block 142 is secured to the lower surface of the stringer member 126 and extends downwardly from the midportion thereof for a short distance. Near the lower end of the block 142 an aperture is provided for receiving a threaded shaft 144. The shaft 144 is supported for rotation in aligned apertures in the posts 71 and 73, and one end of the shaft 144 is provided with a button-like termination 146, which prevents the shaft 144 from being removed from its position relative to the post 71. The other end of the shaft 144 is provided with a knob 148, and the shaft 144 may be rotated by rotation of the knob 148. When the shaft 144 is thus rotated, the block 142 is caused to be drawn either toward the post 71 or the post 73, depending on the direction of rotation of the shaft 144. In this manner the horizontal position of the stringer member 126 and the beam 130 is adjustable so that the sphere 140 may be supported in precisely the position required for effective folding of the elongate web material. When the correct position of the stringer 126 is brought about by adjustment of the knob 148, the bolts 128 are tightened to maintain the stringer 126 in'fixed relation to the posts 71 and 73.

If desired, the sphere or ball may be replaced by "'a nonspherical'shape having a curved surface which controls bending of the web.

- It will be appreciated from the foregoingdescription that the apparatus of the present invention is effective to form a folded strip from a continuous supply of elongate web material, with the fold between adjacent sides of the folded strip being not creased but defining a rounded surface having a radius of approximately l/ 16 inch. Various modifications and additions may be made in the apparatus described, without departing from the essential features of novelty of the present invention.

What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for longitudinally folding an elongate strip of web material comprising,

a pair of guide members each having a guide slot for receiving opposite side edges of said web,

means for supporting said guide members in fixed relation, with the upstream ends of said guide members being relatively widely spaced and the downstream ends of said guide members being narrowly spaced,

means for feeding said web into said slots at the widely spaced end of said guide members,

a ball mounted between said guide members and engageable with said web intermediate its side edges, and means for adjusting the position of said ball with respect to said guide members.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means includes means for supporting said slots substantially in a horizontal plane.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a roller having a horizontal axis located adjacent the widely spaced end of said guide members, the upper extremity of said roller being generally aligned with said horizontal plane.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a pair of members spaced slightly apart and juxtaposed with the narrowly spaced end of said guide members, for defining a narrow space within which said folded web must pass after it emerges from said guide means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, including roller means supported for rotation about a horizontal axis, at a position downstream from said guide members and adapted to support the folded edge of said folded strip of web material.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, including transport means for supplying said web to said widely spaced end of said guide members, said transport means including a supply roll for storing a supply of said Web, and a feed roller mounted in fixed relation to said guide members to'feed said web from said supply roll into said guide members.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, including a second roller in contact with said web between said supply roll and said feed roller, and including means for adjusting the position of said second roller relative to said feed roller.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising,

means for guiding the side edges of said web through said slots to bring one side edge to a position beyond said other side edge, thereby forming a single ply lip extending beyond said other side edge.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said slots are generally vertical, each of said slots having an a roller located upstream of said guide members over which said web passes, and means for adjusting the orientation of said roller with respect to said guide members. 

1. Apparatus for longitudinally folding an elongate strip of web material comprising, a pair of guide members each having a guide slot for receiving opposite side edges of said web, means for supporting said guide members in fixed relation, with the upstream ends of said guide members being relatively widely spaced and the downstream ends of said guide members being narrowly spaced, means for feeding said web into said slots at the widely spaced end of said guide members, a ball mounted between said guide members and engageable with said web intermediate its side edges, and means for adjusting the position of said ball with respect to said guide members.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means includes means for supporting said slots substantially in a horizontal plane.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a roller having a horizontal axis located adjacent the widely spaced end of said guide members, the upper extremity of said roller being generally aligned with said horizontal plane.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a pair of members spaced slightly apart and juxtaposed with the narrowly spaced end of said Guide members, for defining a narrow space within which said folded web must pass after it emerges from said guide means.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, including roller means supported for rotation about a horizontal axis, at a position downstream from said guide members and adapted to support the folded edge of said folded strip of web material.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, including transport means for supplying said web to said widely spaced end of said guide members, said transport means including a supply roll for storing a supply of said web, and a feed roller mounted in fixed relation to said guide members to feed said web from said supply roll into said guide members.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, including a second roller in contact with said web between said supply roll and said feed roller, and including means for adjusting the position of said second roller relative to said feed roller.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising, means for guiding the side edges of said web through said slots to bring one side edge to a position beyond said other side edge, thereby forming a single ply lip extending beyond said other side edge.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said slots are generally vertical, each of said slots having an upper surface, the upper surface of one of said slots being located above the upper surface of the other of said slots to guide said web side edges into a lip-forming spaced relationship.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising, a roller located upstream of said guide members over which said web passes, and means for adjusting the orientation of said roller with respect to said guide members. 